Just a favor
by Dillon
Summary: Just a sweet story I wrote for the Grapes and Lemonade contest. Kurama needs to ask Hiei a favor- can he handle it? Contains minor shonen-ai elements. 17.09.03- I Finally fixed the formatting! I think.


Just a Favor  
  
by Dillon  
  
Pairings: Kurama/Hiei  
  
Disclaimer: For starters, I own nothing except a number of Metal Gear Solid action figures, who decline to appear in this story. Just an odd little fic I wrote for a contest, it sucked more before it got MST'ed. Slight shonen-  
ai content, but not as much or as OOC as it was.  
  
Hiei really should have known Kurama wanted something.  
  
Furthermore, he should have known it was something he was reluctant to ask for. It was in the way he walked, shuffling, without his usual grace, scuffing his shoes in the dust. It was in the way he looked up to the trees in frequent, irregular glances, as if seeking confirmation that his friend was there, but fearing eye contact.  
  
However, Hiei didn't look long enough to discern these things. If he had, he probably wouldn't have jumped down to greet the taller boy, and could have avoided the whole situation.  
  
* * *  
  
Standing in front of the other boy, Hiei couldn't help but notice the lack of eye contact, the somewhat submissive demeanor. This was unusual, even unnatural for the spirited redhead, and made Hiei uneasy.  
  
Coolly, he remarked, "You were looking for me."  
  
It wasn't a question, but a statement.  
  
"Yes" replied Kurama, sounding almost guilty.  
  
Hiei's eyes narrowed, and Kurama continued.  
  
"I need to ask you a favor, and I don't think you'll like it. Actually, I know you won't like it, but I'm afraid you'll do it anyway, and I have no other to ask."  
  
Hiei felt shocked, and a little angry. They had something of an unspoken agreement- each knew he could trust the other with his life, and never be asked to do the same. They could trust each other, completely; never to ask something that could not be given, and never to ask something he himself would not give. Hiei sighed, faintly, knowing this must be something important. Crossing his arms, he leveled his gaze on his friend, silently willing him to explain.  
  
Somewhat emboldened, Kurama spoke "I need you to fill in on a job for me. I wouldn't ask if I could find someone else, but I am needed elsewhere, doing something I think you would like less. Mother is away, and it seems Yusuke, Keiko, Kuwabara, and Yukina have gone out together. I would not trust either Kuwabara's sister or Yusuke's mother, and that leaves only you."  
  
He looked up, his eyes apologetic and pleading. Hiei sighed heavily.  
  
"What do you need me to do?"  
  
Kurama smiled. "I need you to watch the little boy next door."  
  
* * *  
  
Hiei looked as if he'd swallowed a live frog that insisted upon trying to relocate to his left lung.  
  
"What? You expect me to watch a child? Kurama, wh..."  
  
Kurama silenced him with a finger.  
  
"Shingo is quite well behaved, and I trust that you can do this. I have few alternatives. I could take him with me on a 12 hour drive in a borrowed 1972 Ford truck with a 4-speed, but I will not. I could send you 12 hours in a borrowed 1972 Ford truck with a 4-speed to pick up my mother's sister Kasumi, but I really can not in good conscience. I can not do under any circumstances leave a 7-year-old alone for 12 hours, which is my only other option."  
  
Hiei narrowed his eyes further. "Why?"  
  
Kurama rolled his eyes and ticked off on his fingers as he spoke  
  
"First, a child would get horribly carsick on a long drive in a small truck with no air conditioning. He would get bored, cranky, and quite likely ill. I certainly do not want vomit in a small space in this heat. Also, in a 2- seat truck, I would be forced to put him in an unsafe position once I got Kasumi in there. And she would drive him insane. Second, she would drive you insane. If you can even drive with a manual transmission, you'd have decapitated her, and possibly yourself, after the ninth story about 'Mr. Flufflekins', her 3-year-dead cat. And third, Shingo is only seven. He needs someone to watch out for him, but he does not cause much trouble. I've already agreed to do this, and it is regrettable I cannot, but I cannot send you to get my aunt, even if you had a license, and I cannot find another, nor can I reach his parents to ask that they locate another sitter. Please, Hiei?"  
  
Kurama turned his large, sad green eyes on Hiei, and the koorime found himself sighing, as he responded.  
  
"May I ask one question? When in the nine hells did you find time to learn to drive, let alone get your license?"  
  
Kurama smiled "Simple. I enrolled in Driver's Education. It's standard."  
  
Hiei rolled his eyes and gave in. "Lead me to the monster."  
  
A smiling Kurama complied.  
  
* * *  
  
Kurama was practically bouncing as they arrived at the Kojima's doorstep.  
  
"Shingo should be arriving home any minute. We need to give him his snack, I'll introduce him to you, and then I'll be going. It's a long way to the airport, and as long back. You'll be expected to stay the night, and I'll be here around 3 or 3:30 in the morning; she's already waiting."  
  
Hiei looked on, confused, as Kurama fished under the mat for the key.  
  
"Why doesn't she drive herself?" he asked Kurama's rear end.  
  
Kurama grimaced at the mat, straightening. "Ironically, the man who was to drive her was in an accident, and the rental place at the airport has only 3 cars left- one with a door missing, and two with a stick shift."  
  
Hiei couldn't help it- he snorted, stifling a laugh.  
  
Kurama smiled in his quiet way. "The door actually fell off. On her foot."  
  
Hiei laughed aloud, a short sound. "It fell off?"  
  
"When she opened the door to get in."  
  
Hiei just shook his head sadly  
  
* * *  
  
Once inside, Kurama gave Hiei a quick tour of the house- bedrooms, bathroom, essential supplies, books, living room, etc., ending in the kitchen, where he showed the refrigerator, and the supplies for snacks and dinner, which had been prepared and sealed in Tupperware®. Showing Hiei the instructions attached to the fridge, and the workings of the necessary appliances, as well as the locations of the utensils and what to do with them, took enough time for Shingo to arrive home. Stepping through the doorway, he set down his backpack and narrowed his eyes at the two boys.  
  
* * *  
  
Hiei felt the child's eyes upon him, and stood before the small blonde boy, crossing his arms and gazing down coolly. Shingo surprised him by crossing his arms and looking up, unimpressed, in a natural gesture that looked for all the world like an impression of the cool, diminutive koorime. Hiei was slightly impressed at the child's frankly unimpressed demeanor and with a brief "Hn" motioned his head toward Kurama. Shingo "Hn"'ed back, but followed. Kurama rolled his eyes at this display, but noted with pleasure that the boy seemed to regard Hiei as an equal, sizing him up much as a cat will, and finding him approvable. He motioned the small child to the table, presented him with the fruit and vegetable slices left as a snack, and spoke while he procured a couple glasses of milk.  
  
"Shingo, I am afraid I will be unable to stay this evening. As you know, with your parents out of town you cannot be left unattended, and so my friend Hiei will be watching you until I get back."  
  
He nodded at Hiei as he spoke, handing the dark haired boy a glass of milk before he continued.  
  
"You know where the emergency numbers are, if you need them, and I have added the number to the mobile phone I will carry. Hiei also knows how to get in touch with me."  
  
He smiled at his friend as he set another glass before the child, then stood to stand near the countertop. Sipping he stated "You will respect Hiei as you do me, and refrain from causing him trouble. You will also please remember the rules?"  
  
Shingo sighed and recited "Bedtime is 9:00. I will not watch scary movies before bed. I will not terrorize the sitter. I will not treat him in a way I would not be treated. No gum in bed, no drinking before bed, no candy on the couch, no ritualistic dog grooming, and no turtles."  
  
Hiei raised an eyebrow.  
  
Kurama snorted in his milk, and wiped his face before stating "It's a very long story, de gozaru. Perhaps I'll tell it sometime."  
  
Hiei nodded, acquiescing for the moment in favor of rallying his thoughts, remembering if there was anything he needed to ask. He was frankly terrified. Nothing in his childhood had prepared him for this, and he was absolutely terrified that he would perpetrate some heinous act or cause some disaster that would damage the child for life.  
  
Kurama noted his unease and smiled.  
  
"You'll do fine, Hiei-chan. And you can call, should you have any trouble."  
  
Hiei nodded, and watched in horror as his friend walked out the door.  
  
Kurama chuckled and looked back before closing the door.  
  
"Take care, my friends. I should be back in the morning"  
  
The door closed behind him, leaving them alone.  
  
* * *  
  
Hiei turned to look over the room, eyes falling on the boy. With a "Hn", he turned again, not wanting to appear uneasy, and his gaze fell upon the television, an anime playing across the screen. Suddenly decisive, he walked over and settled on the couch. Within minutes, the child followed and clambered up to the opposite end. Hiei sat and thought awhile, considering what to do for the next several hours, how to care for this small life. For all his complaining about the ningen, he didn't want to damage this small bit of innocence. Thinking along these lines, he thought maybe he should be monitoring what the kid was watching.  
  
His eyes lit upon the screen, taking in the anime.  
  
About ten minutes later, his thoughts had turned from troubled visions of failure to simply "Dear god this is asinine. This must be the most idiotic thing I've ever witnessed. Who's idea was this? Did that guy just eat a rock?"  
  
As this ran through his head he heard a small voice from the other end of the couch.  
  
"This is stupid. This is really, really stupid. Did that guy just eat a rock? Why are we watching this?"  
  
Hiei looked over to the child.  
  
"Why did you put it on if you didn't want to watch it?"  
  
The boy looked up, his face a study in innocence  
  
"I thought you turned it on."  
  
Hiei laughed, a short, but genuine laugh, as he clicked off the television.  
  
"So, what do you usually do?"  
  
* * *  
  
Shingo sat at the table, paintbrush in hand, watching the dark-haired young man stir lemonade powder into water as he read the recipe he was using to make dinner.  
  
Honestly, he was supposed to be painting the bowl of grapes on the table for a school art project, but he couldn't concentrate. He kept wondering about Hiei- why was he so quiet? Why did his laughter sound so unused? Could he really cook?  
  
Shingo honestly hoped Hiei was a better cook than Kurama. Kurama could cook ok, but he really didn't much like to and usually ended up ordering out. There's only so much pizza a kid can take.  
  
Kuwabara had filled in once, and he could cook. At least, kinda.  
  
He hoped that was the color chicken sukiyaki was supposed to be.  
  
As he thought, his hand moved across the page. Hiei was assembling some ingredients now, with a look of total concentration, every movement deliberate. Reading back over the list, he nodded and put the heat on under the pans, arranging the other bowls in the order they were to go in.  
  
Shingo smiled. Yes, it appeared Hiei could cook.  
  
He let out a sigh of relief, when a voice by his right elbow startled him.  
  
"Hn. Not bad."  
  
He looked up to see Hiei behind him, smirking, and blushed when his eyes fell on the rather good (for a 7-yr-old) rendering of Hiei at the countertop, white apron contrasting nicely with the black outfit he usually wore.  
  
"Er. Thank you."  
  
Hiei snorted and said "I'll put this up to dry. You collect your things- dinner will be ready soon." He took the picture, attached it to the refrigerator, and continued with his preparations as Shingo began clearing the table.  
  
After a few minutes silence, Shingo quietly spoke up.  
  
"Mr. Hiei?"  
  
"Hai?"  
  
Shingo opened his mouth to speak, but hesitated.  
  
Hiei noticed, but said nothing as the child swallowed and asked "Is there anything else you'd like me to do? The table is clean."  
  
Hiei wondered for a moment what it was the boy had been afraid to ask, but let it pass. "Hai. Fetch the dishes, this is ready to serve."  
  
The small child gladly scampered off, and Hiei smiled softly. He served the fragrant rice and vegetable dish, and they ate in silence. Afterward Shingo ran water for the dishes as was his task, and Hiei watched in amusement as bubbles he blew from the soap bottle rose and floated around the kitchen.  
  
Shingo then moved over and dried the dishes as Hiei washed, until a cup was inverted over his head with a small amount of water still in it.  
  
Hiei averted his eyes from the moisture-enhanced youngster, attempting to look innocent and failing miserably.  
  
A smirk tends to ruin an innocent façade.  
  
Shingo glared and used another cup to splash soapy water over the jaganshi in question, and within minutes they were in the middle of a very moist kitchen, dueling with the paint soaked brushes that had been waiting to be cleaned.  
  
"Hiten Mitsugii Ryo!" cried Shingo, lunging with his decidedly unintimidating red-tipped implement of destruction.  
  
Hiei dodged and lightly pushed the boy's shoulder, causing his feet to slip from under him. As the child fell to the floor, Hiei smirked.  
  
"You watch a hell of a lot of Kenshin, don't you?"  
  
Shingo grinned dazedly  
  
"Yahiko is a god"  
  
Hiei rolled his eyes.  
  
"Go. Take your bath. I'll clean this up."  
  
"Hai, Mr. Hiei"  
  
They smiled quietly at each other, as Hiei turned back to the sink.  
  
* * *  
  
Hiei studied his reflection in the window, and smiled at the splatters of red paint on his hair and clothes. The little boy could make a good swordsman someday.  
  
And he seemed to be doing well so far, hadn't caused any permanent injury, or tears, though he seemed to be relegated to the role of housewife. He grimaced good-naturedly as he wiped the sink down and fetched a mop for the floor.  
  
The boy was alive, fed, and happy. Kurama would be pleased. His thoughts continued in a similar vein until he'd finished the floor and dried the table. Sneaking a peek at the clock, he started.  
  
8:15 already?  
  
Checking the living room, he noted the boy wasn't there. Bed already?  
  
Checking Shingo's room, his parent's room, and the basement was fruitless.  
  
Hiei was frightened, had the boy drowned?  
  
His heart clenched at the thought, as he raced up the stairs to the bathroom.  
  
Hands shaking, he reached for the doorknob, opening it ever so slowly, to reveal his worst fear.  
  
The boy lay in the tub, unmoving.  
  
Hiei cried out, rushing forward.  
  
His heart broke, then rose to his throat as the child stirred, opening sleepy eyes and looking around  
  
"Huh? Ussa natter isserIei?"  
  
Hiei chuckled softly  
  
"You scared me, little Baka." he said, fondly "Let's get you out of that cold water."  
  
"Ok, isser Hiei" the little one muttered, raising his arms.  
  
Hiei wrapped the small child in a fluffy towel, raising him to his shoulder. The little boy surprised him by wrapping his little arms around Hiei's neck and snuggling in.  
  
"I ike you, isser Iei" he yawned "ell me a ssory?"  
  
Hiei smiled softly. Deciding pajamas could wait, he descended to the living room, replying "Hai" softly to the bundle of moist ningen. Settling on the couch with the drowsy child still moistening his collar, he thought a moment, then began.  
  
"Once, not so long ago as you might think, four young allies began a journey into the spirit world, in pursuit of the four legendary saint beasts.."  
  
* * *  
  
Several hours later came the soft sound of a key in the lock, as a tired figure entered the darkened doorway.  
  
Looking around, Kurama was first surprised at the cleanliness of the rooms in his view, and then by the number of lights still on. He'd have thought Hiei would have no more on than necessary, but it appeared as if every available light had been left to burn.  
  
His third shock was by far the greatest, however, as he laid his eyes upon the young koorime, curled up on the couch, surrounding a naked, slightly damp, peacefully sleeping Shingo.  
  
As quietly as he could, Kurama slipped the camera from his pocket and snapped a photograph.  
  
The clicking of the shutter aroused Hiei's attention, and Kurama smiled as his friend's eyes opened and their gazes met. Hiei smiled back, gently, and raised a finger to his lips  
  
"Shh. Help me here, Baka" he whispered.  
  
Shingo murmured something that sounded vaguely like "baka" and snuggled further into his neck, clutching tightly.  
  
Hiei was caught between a sputter of indignation and a burst of laughter, as Kurama came forward to pry off the clinging child. Once he'd managed it, the little boy squirmed in his arms, muttering "sser iei" as the dark haired koorime sat up and took him back.  
  
Kurama smiled at the child's antics and Hiei's blushing look of pride.  
  
"Come on, let's get him to bed" the red-haired boy whispered to his friend.  
  
Hiei simply nodded and followed, climbing the stairs to lay the boy on his mattress while Kurama fetched a set of pajamas.  
  
Hiei carefully removed the towel and dressed the boy, sliding him gently between the sheets, and catching a surprise as the semi-conscious child's arms went around his neck, sleepily muttering  
  
"g'nite sser iei. muv ou"  
  
Hiei's face lit up, and he pulled the blanket over the little boy, speaking softly  
  
"Goodnight, little one"  
  
Stroking the damp blond bangs back, he placed a soft kiss on the sleeping boy's forehead. He followed his smirking friend out the door to the hall. Looking at the redhead's face, he blushed deeply and playfully punched the other boy's arm.  
  
"Not a word, Baka"  
  
Kurama simply smirked more forcefully.  
  
* * *  
  
The two boys sat in the kitchen for another hour, drinking tea and talking quietly about the day's adventures.  
  
Kurama laughed at the paint in Hiei's hair and the water fight, while Hiei suppressed a chuckle over Kurama's lamenting about his aunt's new cat, Horace, whom he'd been unfortunate enough to share a borrowed 1972 Ford with, for 12 hours.  
  
Hiei could no longer suppress his laughter when he learned that Kurama had also made the acquaintance of the mouse Horace had eaten for breakfast.  
  
At 5:30 Shingo's parents arrived, and Kurama explained the situation, introducing Hiei and apologizing for having resorted to a sitter they did not know. Shingo's parents were happy to meet him, and forgave Kurama, stating that they trusted his judgment. They thanked Hiei for coming on such short notice, and he blushed, muttering "Hai. He's a sweet kid."  
  
The boys were paid, and after a few moments polite conversation were readying themselves to leave, when Hiei got an idea.  
  
With a small smile asked Kurama for his wallet.  
  
Kurama looked confused, but handed it to him.  
  
He smiled as Hiei removed the photograph Kurama carried, one Keiko had taken of them together at the beach, and attached it to the refrigerator.  
  
Hiei then removed the one Shingo had painted earlier, now fully dry, and folded it gently before slipping it into his pocket, returning the fox's wallet.  
  
Hiei smiled  
  
"Arigatou"  
  
Kurama rolled his eyes dramatically and smiled.  
  
Stating their goodnights to Shingo's parents, they walked out the door.  
  
* * *  
  
Upon reaching the street, Kurama slipped his arm around Hiei's shoulder, pulling him gently closer. Hiei squirmed, but allowed the slight embrace.H  
  
"Arigatou, Hiei."  
  
With a smile, he spoke softly.  
  
"Seeing you like that tonight, sleeping with Shingo, was one of the sweetest things I've ever seen."  
  
He smiled wistfully.  
  
"I rather wondered what it's like."  
  
Hiei arched an eyebrow.  
  
"You want to sleep with a small wet ningen? You've got some odd kinks, Kitsune."  
  
Kurama looked taken aback, and blushed furiously.  
  
"No, baka. With you!"  
  
Hiei smirked.  
  
"Hn."  
  
They walked in silence to Kurama's porch, and the kitsune turned back before Hiei walked away.  
  
"Hey, Hiei?"  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"Care to spend the night? It's cold, and rather looks like a storm coming."  
  
"Hn." He smiled. "Okay."  
  
He followed Kurama into the light of the doorway. As he closed the door behind him, a raindrop touched the earth. ~End~  
  
Heh, I did it. Written for Green Grapes and Lemonade, but it sucked and got MST'ed, so this is fairly different than the version you'll find there. Eh, at least I got Kurama's eye color right this time. Stop laughing, Jack. Oddness abounds, and I'm considering a sequel. Let me know if I should. As always, thank you Risu. 


End file.
